Is America Great Again?

Earlier this week, President Trump made his first State of the Union address, sharing his thoughts on what his greatest accomplishments have been in the last year as President of the United States, how the country is doing in general, and what still needs to happen to “Make America Great Again.” We’d like to think of the State of the Union as a parent-teacher conference where the teacher (President Trump) shares with your parents (the people) your progress (in this case, the United States’ progress) and outlines what needs improvement.

via @The White House

Although House Republicans cheered on and supported President Trump throughout his speech and thought he did a great job, House Democrats didn’t have the same reaction to the president’s highlights of low unemployment rates, more jobs, steep tax cuts, and greater national security. In fact, many House Democrats protested the president’s State of the Union address. How? Some didn’t even show up. Others wore all black, decorating their outfits with only a “Time’s Up” pin (something that some of Hollywood’s actors did earlier this month at the Golden Globes), using the televised State of the Union to send a clear message that harassment and poor treatment of women must stop. Members of the Congressional Black Caucus wore kente cloth (or a bright-colored cloth woven with patterns that originated from the country of Ghana) to honor and support the countries that President Trump insulted earlier this month. Some lawmakers brought DREAMers as their guests. When President Trump finished his speech, Massachusetts Democrat, Joe Kennedy III, responded on behalf of his party and said, “Bullies may land a punch. They might leave a mark, but they have never, not once, in the history of our United States, managed to match the strength and spirit of a people united in defense of their future.”

Whether you agree with President Trump’s recap of his year’s work, one thing’s for sure: there’s still more work to be done, and the work is much easier when both Republican and Democratic lawmakers work together. Will the United States be better, worse, or stay the same a year from now? We’ll just have to wait for the country’s next “progress report.”

Until then, if you could grade President Trump on how he’s been doing as President of the United States, what grade would you give him?

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